Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Drapery

I started a painting of a donkey being ridden by a child yesterday. And remembered that painting people often requires painting the folds of their clothing. Some old masters' studios employed people who painted only clothing, leaving the faces and bodies up to the master or someone else. This was called drapery painting, and is more complex and fascinating than one might think. Art schools used to offer courses in it. I wonder if they still do.

I laughed at this clip from the BBC about the new Frank Gehry building in Manhattan. "Do you know the difference between Michelangelo folds and Bernini folds? Of course!" Well I did not and had to look them up.

Bernini on the left. Michelangelo on the right. I am still not sure I see that Bernini's fold are sharp and Michelangelo's are rounded. But if Frank Gehry says so...

Here's a sneak peak of the donkey painting. First with a large woman wearing black. Next without the woman. But the child is too small... And I need to find a model for an older child to stand behind the donkey. Does anyone have a ten year old kid who will pose for a photo?

More work is needed today. I am also still working on the herd of goats and a couple of other pieces too. Too many ideas and not enough time!